Shoe heel structure



Jan. 15, 1952 5. L. MALHEI'QBE 2,582,551 SHOE HEEL STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 5, 1950 Gerhardus L. Ma/herbe IN V EN TOR.

Patented Jan. 15, 1952 NT OFFICE SHOE HEEL STRUCTURE 'Gerhardus L; Malherbe, 'Suider-Paarl, .Cape

Province, Union of South Africa Application September 5, 1950,\Serial No. 183,123

-1 Claim. (01. 36-36) This inventionrelates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in shoe heels, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a shoe heel structure including a removable bottom or ground engaging member, so that this .member may be quickly and easily replaced when worn out, or substituted by another bottom member of a different color, shape or thickness, as desired.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of means responsive to relative sliding movement of the bottom and top heel members for connecting the same together, while another feature lies in the provision of means for locking the two members against relative sliding movement so as to prevent accidental or unintentional separation thereof.

Some of the advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity of construction, in its efficient operation, in its adaptability for use with shoes of different sizes and types, and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

With the above features in view and such other obiects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an under side plan view of the invention in its assembled position;

Figure 2 is an under side perspective view thereof with the bottom member removed;

Fi ure 3 is a top perspective view of the bottom member per se;

Figure 4 istop plan view of the heel;

Fi ure 5 is a sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 5-5 in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line fi6 in Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 11 in Figure 4; and

Figure 8 is a sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 8-8 in Figure 4.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings 'n detail, the invention consists of a shoe heel structure which embodies a top member l2 which engaging member I6 i separably connected to the top member I2 by 'means hereinafter described.

more important objects and,

' 20 provided in the upper surface of the -bottom These means involve the provision of a pair of transversely spaced, longitudinally =eiitendlng keepers ill on the-lower surfaceof the-top member "I 2, "which keepers are slidably receivable in complemental, longitudinally extendingchanfiels member I6.

lhe channels 20 hav'e open front ends while their rear =end-portions-arei upwardlyic'urved, .as indicated'at 22,-#:sothat lthetkeepers l8 may be inserted in the channels by simply sliding the bottom member l6 forwardly relative to the top member l2. To prevent the bottom member from falling downwardly from the top member, the keepers l8 and the channels 20 may have dovetailed inner edges indicated at 24, and in addition outturned flanges 26 may be provided on forward end portions of the keepers l8 for slidable reception in complemental grooves 28 in the sides of the channels 20.

In addition to the foregoing, a chamfered or dovetailed upstanding keeper block 30 is provided at the rear end of the bottom member I 6 and is slidably receivable in a complemental, chamfered recess 32 provided in the top member 12, this block functioning as a positive stop for limiting the forward sliding movement of the bottom member relative to the top member so that the forward edges of the two members are in vertical alignment, as is best shown in Figure 1.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that when the bottom member I6 isslid forwardly on the top member I 2 so that the keepers [8 are disposed in the channels 20 and the block 30 is disposed in the recess 32, separation of the two members will be impossible, except by sliding the bottom member rearwardly with respect to the top member. In order to prevent such separation from occurring accidentally or unintentionally, locking means are provided for preventing relative sliding of the two members, these locking means being gravity-responsive and being extremely simple in construction. The same simply involve the provision of a cylindrical socket 34 in the forward portion of the top member l 2 and a similar socket 36 in the bottom member l6, these two sockets being registerable when the two members are connected together as shown in Figures 1 and 5, so that the sockets afford a vertical, cylindrical bore 38.

A gravity-responsive locking in 40 is freely slidable in this bore, the length of this pin being no greater than the depth of the socket 34, but substantially greater than the depth of the socket 36.

' 3 When in operation, that is, when the bottom member I6 is to be applied to the top member l2, the entire shoe is inverted and the locking pin 40 is placed in the socket 34 so that it is completely received therein. Thereupon, the 5 bottom member I6 is slid forwardly on the top member so that the sockets 34, 36 are in register, and the shoe is then returned to its upright position, thus permitting the pin 40 to gravitate into the socket 36 while the upper portion thereof still 10 remains in the socket 34, as shown in Figure 5. In this manner, the pin 40 will effectively lock the two members l2, l6 against relative sliding movement and accidental separation thereof will be prevented. Needless to say, when it is desired to separate the member Hi from the member" I2, the entire shoe is again inverted so as to return the pin 40 into the socket 34, after which the bottom member l6 may be slid rearwardly from the top member 12.

i'----It-is believed that the advantages and use of 2 the invention will be clearly understood from the Vioregoing disclosure, and accordingly further ndescription thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary-:7 a 3 "jHavin fiescribed the invention, what is claimed asnew is; p 1

' .fA shoe heel comprising a top member for attachment to a shoe, said top member including a pail-of spaced,'.parallel, longitudinally extend-"I30 ing depending tongues, said tongues terminating in substantially rounded rear end portions, the inner longitudinal sides of the tongues being dovetailed, lateral flanges on the outer longitudinal sides of the tongues terminating at intermediate points on said tongues, said flanges including dovetailed upper surfaces, a tread member for mounting on the top member, said tread member having a pair of-spaced, parallel longitudinal grooves in its upper portion for slidably receiving the tongues, said grooves conforming substantially to the shape of the tongues and the flanges thereon, and means for positively locking the tread member to the top member against longitudinal movement.

GERHARDUS L. MALI-IERBE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Apr. 23, 19l1 

